Hospital surgical suites are high consumers of energy due to the strict indoor air quality (IAQ) conditions. However, by varying the ventilation strategies, the potential for energy savings is great, particularly during periods without activity. In addition, there is no international consensus on the ventilation and hygrothermal requirements for surgical areas. In this work, a dynamic energy model of a surgical suite of a Spanish hospital is developed. This energy model is calibrated and validated with experimental data collected during real operation. The model is used to simulate the yearly energy performance of the surgical suite under different ventilation scenarios. The common issue in the studied ventilation strategies is that the hygrothermal conditions ranges are extended during off-use hours. The maximum savings obtained are around 70% of the energy demand without compromising the safety and health of patients and medical staff, as the study complies with current heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) regulations.

Tri-generation plants will have an important role in the near future in the residential sector where heating and cooling demands come into play throughout the year. Depending on the building’s location, the characteristics of its enclosure and its use, the thermal loads and demands will be different. This article analyses and compares a combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP) system tested in the laboratory and a single household located in Spain. The cooling capacity is obtained using a reversible heat pump where the compressor is driven directly by a gas engine with internal combustion engine (ICE) technology. The tests were carried out in a work bench at three different operating speeds. A variable-speed model is developed in the TRNSYS simulation environment with an operating strategy following the thermal load (FTL). Once the micro-CCHP system was modeled with experimental data and validated, it was dynamically simulated to analyze its performance in different climatic zones defined in the Spanish “Código Técnico de la Edificación” (CTE). This study reveals that the micro-CCHP system is suitable in mild weathers during the summer season.